Polycystic kidney disease is a serious illness with severe implications for the body. In the case of Lyndon Baty, a 15-year-old from Texas, PKD has prevented him from leaving his house. All he wanted to do was go to school, and a device from VGo Communications has fulfilled that desire.

The VGo stands at four feet tall. A screen towards the top displays the face of the person controlling it. The robot moves via wheels at the base. It can emit and receive sound, but it has no limbs. Lyndon controls his VGo from the comfort and safety of his bedroom.

From his room, Lyndon controls the robot with custom software installed on his laptop. He pilots the VGo from class to class and interacts with his classmates and teachers via his webcam and microphone. Lyndon’s only gripe is that the robot has no arms, so that he constantly has to ask people to open doors for him.

The VGo costs about $6,000. That may seem a bit steep to some, but the benefits outweigh the cost. The VGo helped to bring Lyndon out of isolation. While he does declare that his parents are his best friends, he wants to have other friends, too. The VGo has given him that.

With the influx of iPads into the classroom, the VGo is a great step forward for the integration of technology in schools. It’ll afford people who would have otherwise been confined to hospital beds or their homes the chance to get out and do things, whether it’s going to school or a social gathering.